Paper-feeding mechanism.



A. COLLIS. PAPER FEBDING MEGHANISM.

AAIPPLIGA'IION FILED PEB.15, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911.

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A. COLLIS. PAPER FBEDING MEOHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED 113.15. 1910.

996,459. Patented Jun 27, 1911.

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ALFRED COLLIS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PAPER-FEEDING IVIECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 15, 1910.

Patented June 27,1911. Serial No. 544,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED CoLLIs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Paper-Feeding'Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

In cutting machines which cut paper from reels into sheets, there is generally employed a felt or any other suitable material on to which the sheets drop or are carried as they are cut. This felt is a traveling one and delivers the sheets in an ordinary way on to a table or when a laying machine is used in conjunctio-n with the cutter, the felt is connected to the laying machine.

The type of laying machine shown on the drawings is arranged to travel up and down columns, and naturally in doing so the feltroller on the laying machine and the felt roller on the cutting machine vary in their distances apart as the roller on the cutting machine has a fixed center and the one on the laying machine rises and falls with the apparatus, and I employ a tension roller about mid-way of the felt which is provided for the purpose of taking up the variation in the length required. These felt-s run very wide and are sometimes as much as 10 0 or 12 0; it is necessary that the felt should run perfectly true and always with about the same amount of tension on it atI whatever height the felt may be.

The laying machine in rising would carry the felt up if allowed to get high enough and foul the knife carriage or revolving knife of the cutting machine, but to prevent this I have fixed an adjustable roller on the top of the felt, and it is in connection with the tension roller before referred to, and also this roller or rollers on top of the felt or belt that my improvements are made.

My arrangement can be used on cutting or like machines whether the laying machine is attached or not.

In the annexed drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1, is a side view of a cutting machine A, attached to the skeleton framework of a rising and falling laying machine B showing the rollers above the felt and the roller on the upper side of the lower half. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan, the section being taken on the line a a of the cutting machine of Fig. 1, so as to disclose the rollers. Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are side elevations showing modified arrangements for keeping the tension on the felt. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 shows an enlarged view of one end of the tube.

The following is a description of the parts shown in the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1, is the side frame of a duplex cutting machine of a known type. 2 are brackets fixed to the frame, through which passes shaft 3, rocking in the brackets 2. Shaft 3 carries fixed brackets 4, and to Athese are attached spindles 5 carrying at or near their extremities brackets 6 carrying the roller 7 which brackets are adjustable along the spindles 5 to position same so as to allow the felt to run true, because as will be seen on the drawing, the roller 7 is parallel with the shaft 3 and assuming that the felt or belt would run straight as it is shown on the drawing, should the bearing be slid along shaft 5 at one side, the roller 7 would be out of parallel and would consequently make the felt 8 run to one side. Roller 7 is carried in the brackets 6. 8 is the traveling felt or canvas upon the upper side of the lower half of which the roller rests as shown. The felt passes around roller 9 on the cutting machine and roller 10 on the laying machine. 11, is a roller on the underside of the top half of felt to keep the felt at a given height when the laying machine is in a low position.

12, Figs. 1 and 7, are tubes, placed between the frames 1 of the cutting machine. 13 are studs upon which the tubes 12 are carried. 14, see Fig. 7, are slots in the ends of said tubes, and 15 are stop pins fitted in the studs 13. 16 are brackets fastened to thc tubes 12. 17 are spindles passing through brackets 16, carrying at their extremity the bearings 18 to which are fixed rollers 19 in contact with the upper surface of the felt.

Referring to Fig. 3, 20 are brackets fastened on to frame 1, and to which are fixed vertical shafts 21. 22 are vertical sliding cross bosses carrying roller 23. 24 is a chain one at each side of the machine and anchored to the cross bosses 22 and passing around chain wheels 25 fixed on each end of the shaft 26, the chains also passing over pulleys 27. 28 are counterweights attached to the ends of the chains.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 6, 29 are studs carrying flanged pulleys 30. 31 is a shaft placed across t-he machine carrying chain wheels 32 fixed at each end, and around these chain wheels 32 and flanged pulleys 30 pass chains 33 which are anchored to sliding bosses 34 on spindles 35. Hand wheel 36 is connected by means of a screw to bearings 37 which carry roller 38.

Referring to Fig. 5, 39 are brackets attached to frame 1; 40 are racks fastened to the brackets 39; 41 are sliding bosses to which is attached a shaft 42 upon which are placed pinions 43 gearing into the racks 4() for the purpose of raising or lowering the roller 44. 45 is the frame of the laying machine.

The operation of my invention is as follows Referring to Fig. 1 the frame 45 of the laying machine is lowered down to a position suitable for delivering sheets of paper on to trucks or table. As the paper comes along the felt or belt 8, it is delivered over the roller 10, on the laying machine and through the machine on to the trucks, the frame 45 rising as the paper accumulates. As the felt roller 9 of the cutting machine is a fixture, and the felt passes around the movable roller 10 of the laying' machine, it must of necessity lengthen and shorten the centers of the rollers 9 and 10 as the distance between the mechanism rises or lowers, and it is for taking up the variation in this felt that one part-of my invention has reference to, as will beV understood from the following. As the shaft 3 rocks in the brackets 2 at each end, it will be seen that as the felt rises, the roller 7 will rise with it, or fall with it in the case of it lowering in a parallel manner, and at the saine time keep a tension on the felt, so that the top half of the felt will not be too slack. According to the amount of tension required so the roller 7 can be moved either to or from the brackets 2. As the brackets 4 are a fixture on shaft 3, when the roller is once set to suit the running of the felt, it will rise and fall in a parallel position keeping the felt true at whatever height the frame 45 of the laying machine may be. Just prior to the web of paper being cut in sheets, it passes under the rollers 19 and along the felt 8 over the roller 11, as hereinbefore described. These rollers 19 are provided for the purpose of keeping the paper flat upon the felt as the latter rises or falls.

Between the side frames 1 of the cutting machines are placed the tubes 12, Figs. 1 and 7, which are made to rock on the studs 13 fixed in the frame. 'A stop pin 15 is placed in the studs. The ends of the tubes are slotted at 14 as shown in Fig. 7. To

each tube are fastened the two brackets 16 carrying spindles 17 and bearings 18, and the rollers 19 are made sufiiciently heavy to press hard continuously on the felt 8. Each roller 19 bears with pressure on to the felt 8, but as the two brackets are fastened to the ends of the tube 12, the roller must at all times occupy a plane parallel to that of the felt and exert pressure on said felt, and as the tubes have slots 14 wherein pins 15 works, as shown in Fig. 7, the extent of the rising and falling movements of the rollers is governed by the length of said slots. But it will be seen that the frame 45 vin rising can carry the felt with it and the rollers 19 will not foul the revolving knife in so doing, although the sheets will be able to come out square owing to the rollers being parallel on the felt. Provision is made for adjustment of the roller in the brackets 16.

It is in connection with keeping the rollers 19 parallel with the felt and being able to stop the rollers at a given point, either up or down, that the further part of my invention refers to. In the case of the frame 45 being lowered, the roller 11 would prevent the felt going below at this point.

In Fig. 3 another means or arrangement is shown for allowing of the variation in the felt caused by the rollers 9 and 10 being at different levels during the working of the laying machine. The roller 23 attached to the slides 22 rests with pressure on the top of the lower half of the felt, similar to roller 7 in Fig. 1. The chains 24 are anchored Vto the sliding brackets 22, and pass around the chain wheels 25 xed on shaft 26, which passes from one side of the machine to the other and the counterweights 28 are.. attached to the chains for keeping the tension on the felt. It will be seen that as the felt rises or falls, so the roller 23 must move parallel with it owing to the chain wheels being fastened on shaft 26.

In Figs. 4 and 6, I show another method of carrying my invention into effect. Shaft 31 passing across the machine carries chain wheels 32 around which passes chains 33. Sliding brackets 34 are fitted on spindles 35 which are fixed to the frame 1. Hand wheels 36 having screws are attached to sliding bearings 37 which carry the roller 38 and are made to slide to allow for tlae straight running ofthe felt, and can be moved backward or forward by the hand wheel so as to make the felt run true. This form of adjustment can be applied to any means I employ for keeping the tension on the felt.

In Fig. 5- the racks 40 carry sliding bosses 41 to which is attached shaft 42, carrying pinions 43, gearing into the racks 40, and as the felt 8 rises or falls the roller 44 causes it to move in a parallel position.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination of kan endless conveyer arranged to swing in a vert-ical plane; and a pair of separate, bodily-movable rollers arranged to bear continuously upon the upper and lower stretches of the conveyer and to follow the swinging movements of the same, for maintaining the tension on said conveyer constant for all positions.

2. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination of an endless conveyer and a pair of rollers around which the same passes, one of said rollers being fixed; means for raising and lowering the otherl roller, to swing said conveyer in a vertical plane about the first-named roller as'an axis; and means for maintaining a constant degree of tension on said conveyer during its swinging movements, said tensioning means comprising a pair of rollers arranged to move vertically independently of each other and to bear continuously upon the upper side of the upper and lower stretches of said conveyer and to follow the same during its movements.

3. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination of an endless conveyer and a pair of rollers around which the same passes, one of said rollers being fixed; means for raising and lowering the other roller, to swing said conveyer in a vertical plane about the first-named roller as an axis; and means for maintaining a constant degree of tension on said conveyer during its swinging movements, said tensioning means comprising a pair of vertically-movable rollers arranged parallel with the conveyer rollers and adapt-ed to bear continuously upon the upper and lower stretches of said conveyer and to follow the latter during its movements.

4. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination, with an endless conveyer, and means for swinging the same in a vertical plane; of a vertically-movable tension roller bearing continuously upon the upper stretch of the conveyer; and a separate tension roller arranged to move vertically independently of the first named roller and bearing continuously upon the lower stretch of said conveyer.

5. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination, with an endless conveyer, and means for swinging the same; of means for maintaining a constant degree of pressure upon said conveyer during its swinging movements, said tensioning means ccmprising a rock shaft arranged above the upper stretch of the conveyer, a pair of lateral arms rigidly secured t-o said shaft in parallel relation toveach other for synchronous movement, a roller carried by said arms and adapted to bear continuously on said upper stretch, and an additional movablymounted roller arranged above and adapted to bear continuously upon the lower stretch of the conveyer.

6. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination, with a conveyer and means for swinging the same; of a tensioning device therefor comprising a rock shaft, a pair of lateral arms rigidly secured to said shaft in parallel relation to each other for synchronous movement, a roller carried by said arms and bearing continuously upon said conveyer, said roller following the swinging movements of said conveyer, and means associat'ed with said shaft for limiting its rockin movement.

In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination, with a conveyer, and means for swinging the same; of a tensioning device therefor comprising a tubular rock shaft having slots formed in its ends, a pair of lateral arms rigidly secured to said shaft in parallel relation to each other for synchronous movement, a roller carried by said arms and bearing continuously upon said conveyer, said roller following the swinging movements of said conveyer, a pair of studs extending into the ends of said shaft for support-ing the same, and devices provided upon said studs projecting into said slots to limit the rocking movement of said shaft.

8. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with an endless conveyer and means for swinging the same; of means for maintaining a constant degree of tension upon the conveyer during its swinging movements said tensioning means comprising bodily-movable rollers located between the upper and lower stretches of said conveyer and adapted to bear continuously upon said stretches, and a fixed roller located between said stretches and adapted to limit the downward movement of said upper stretch.

9. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination with a conveyer, and means for swinging the same; of means for maintaining a constant degree of pressure upon said conveyer during its swinging movements, said tensioning means comprising a rock shaft arranged above the upper stretch of the conveyer, a pair of lateral arms rigidly secured to said shaft in parallel relation to each other for synchronous movement, a roller carried by said arms and adapted to bear continuously upon said upper stretch, means associated with said shaft for limiting its rocking movement, and an additional movably mounted roller arranged above and adapted to bear continuously upon the lower stretch of the conveyer.

10. In a paper feeding mechanism, the combination, with a conveyer and means for swinging the same; of a tensioning device therefor comprising a horizontal transversely-arranged shaft, a horizontal roller arranged parallel with said shaft and bear- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set ing continuously upon said oonveyer, said my hand in presence of two subscribing witroller following the swinging movement of nesses.

said conveyer; and connections between the ALFRED COLLIS. adjacent ends of said sha-ft and said roller Vitnesse's: 4 for maintaining the latter at all times in a R. WESTACOTT,'

horizontal position during its movements. R. WILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

